The PWS-19 was a Polish

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

and

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

plane prototype of the 1930s, constructed in the PWS (''Podlaska Wytwórnia Samolotów'' -

Podlasie Podlachia, also known by its Polish name Podlasie (; ; ), is a historical region in north-eastern Poland. Its largest city is Białystok, whereas the historical capital is Drohiczyn. Similarly to several other historical regions of Poland, e.g ...

Aircraft Factory).

Development

The PWS-19 was constructed in 1930 in order to replace the French-designed bombers

Potez 25 Potez 25 (also written as Potez XXV) was a French twin-seat, single-engine sesquiplane designed during the 1920s. A light multi-purpose Strike fighter, fighter-bomber, it was designed as a line aircraft and used in a variety of roles, including F ...

and

Breguet 19 Breguet may refer to: * Breguet (watch), watch manufacturer **Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), Swiss watchmaker ** Louis-François-Clement Breguet (1804–1883), French physicist, watchmaker, electrical and telegraph work * Breguet Aviation, ...

in the

Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...

. It was a development of the PWS-17, which remained unbuilt. Main designers were Zbysław Ciołkosz and Antoni Uszacki. It was planned to be produced in two variants: reconnaissance PWS-19A2 and bomber PWS-19B2. It was a conventional design, a strutted high-wing monoplane with quite elegant silhouette, open cockpits and fixed landing gear. It was fitted with double tailfins to obtain a good field of defense fire. In 1934 Antoni Uszacki designed a smaller plane basing on the PWS-19, designated PWS U-6, with G-1620 Mors 400 hp engine. It participated in a contest for an army cooperation plane, but lost against RWD-14 Czapla and was not built.

Operational history

The only prototype first flew in Biała Podlaska in September 1931. During tests it showed quite good flight characteristics, although the rudders had to be enlarged to improve manoeuvrability and stability. However, on March 17, in 1933, the wings distorted in a dive and the prototype crashed (killing an observer). The Air Force considered ordering the PWS-19A2 powered by a Bristol Pegasus engine, but at the same time, a more modern aircraft the PZL.23 Karaś had been developed by Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze, PZL - a low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction. As a result, works upon the PWS-19 stopped.

Description

Mixed construction high-wing (parasol) monoplane. A fuselage of a steel frame, covered with duralumin in front section and canvas in mid and rear sections. Two-spar wings, of wooden construction, plywood covered. Stabilizers, rudder and elevator of metal construction, canvas covered. Twin vertical tailfins. Crew of two (pilot and observer/gunner) in open individual cockpits. Conventional fixed landing gear, with a rear skid. The plane was fitted with RKL/D radio and camera. Engine: 9 cylinder air-cooled radial Pratt & Whitney Hornet T2 in front, with a Townend ring (there were optional Bristol Jupiter VII or Bristol Pegasus). Two-blade metal propeller of a fixed pitch. Fuel tank 420 L in a fuselage, dropped in emergency. Armament: single fixed front-mounted 7.7 mm Vickers machinegun with an Synchronization gear, interrupter gear, in the right fuselage side, single 7.7mm Vickers on a ring mounting of the observer. Up to 250 kg bombs (maximum bomb size - up to 50 kg).

Operators

; *

Specifications

References

External links

Photos and drawings at Ugolok Neba
{{PWS aircraft 1930s Polish bomber aircraft 1930s Polish military reconnaissance aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft PWS aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1931